Package and center-piece

ABSTRACT

1. A PACKAGE AND CENTER-PIECE FOR PACKING AND ORNAMENTAL DISPLAY OF CONTENTS INDIVIDUALLY AND BY GRADE SIZES COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL MEMBERS EACH DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS EQUALLY SPACED AROUND THE PERIMETER OF EACH SAID HORIZONTAL MEMBER, AND EXTENDING INWARD FOR LESS THAN A QUARTER OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN OPPOSITE POINTS ON EACH SAID PERIMETER, A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL MEMBERS, EACH HAVING THE SAME PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED PARALLEL SLOTS AS THERE ARE HORIZONTAL MEMBERS FOR ASSOCIATION THEREWITH AND EACH SLOT EXTENDING FOR A QUARTER OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN OPPOSITE POINTS ON THE PERIMETER OF THE ASSOCIATED HORIZONTAL MEMBER, THE SLOTS OF SAID HORIZONTAL MEMBERS AND THE SLOTS OF SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS INTERFITTING AND FORMING VERTICAL TIERS OF SIDE-OPENING CUBICLES TO RECEIVE, SUPPORT AND DISPLAY SAID CONTENTS, AND A CLEAR PLASTIC BAG OPEN AT AN END AND ENCLOSING SAID INTERFITTING MEMBERS, SAID OPEN END BEING TIED AT THE TOP THEREOF FOR THE RETENTION OF CONTENTS THEREIN IN VISIBLE ORNAMENTAL DISPLAY.   D R A W I N G

@Htfited States Patent 1 DuMolin I PACKAGE AND CENTER-PIECE [76]Inventor: Henry J. DuMolin, Rt. 1, Hwy. 23,

Port Sulphur, La. 70083 [22] Filed: Apr. 4, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 241,032

[52] US. Cl 206/4533, 108/101, 224/45 R, 312/6 [51] Int. Cl.. B65d65/16, B65d 77/26, A47b 47/00 [58] Field of Search 206/4533; 224/45 R,45 G, 224/48 F; 211/135; 108/101; 312/6 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 7 1,889,882 12/1932 Woods 206/4533 UX 1,922,208 8/1933Knorpp.. 206/4533 X 3,545,659 8/1968 Libby 224/45 R FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 451,651 9/1949 Italy 224/48 F Primary ExaminerLeonardSummer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James B. Lake, Jr.

[ Dec. 17, 1974 [5 7] ABSTRACT Circular horizontal members andapproximately triangular vertical members, sized, shaped and slottedwith reference to numbers, types and grade sizes of contents to bepacked, interfit by means of associated slots to form a packagestructure and provide a package and center-piece comprising a pluralityof sector cubicles defined between interfitting adjacent horizontal andvertical members, said sector cubicles having side openings and arrangedby size in a plurality of vertically spaced circular tiers, the cubiclesof each tier being similar and smaller than in the tier below and sizedin each tier for a particular grade size of the desired type ofcontents. A loop engaging a rod under the lowest tier and passingthrough center holes defined in said circular horizontal membersprovides a carrying handle at the top of the package and centerpiece. Aclear plastic bag drawn over the package and contents and with an openend tied at the top of said package retains the contents in theirrespective cubicles, each of the contents being supported in respectivecubicles by said package structure and visible through the plastic bagcovered side openings.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PACKAGE AND CENTER-PIECE The inventionrelates generally to packaging and more particularly to the visiblepackaging of a content individually and by grade sizes in open-sidedcubicles arranged in graduated vertically-spaced tiers for additionaluse as on ornamental display.

Heretofore, the packaging of fruit for gifts and displays has beenconfined to baskets and other opentopped containers wherein only the toplayer of fruit was visible. Where several layers of fruit were packedtogether, the lower layers were hidden from view and also supported theweight of the fruit resting on them. In such arrangements most of thefruit cannot be seen and the spoilage rate is high because of weight ofthe supported fruit and its fruit to fruit contact. The invention willbe described with respectto fruit.

It is an object of the invention to provide a portable package for aplurality of fruit of a number of grades for packaging by grades invertically spaced tiers for the largest grade size to be on the lowesttier and in diminishing ratio upward in size of tiers and fruit for eachpiece of fruit to be visible and supported by package structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package for fruit havingside opening cubicles arranged in groups, and with the cubicles of eachgroup conforming in size to a different grade size of fruit.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following specification and claims and drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a three dimensional elevational exploded view of a packagestructure of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a three dimensional elevation of the invention with packagedfruit shown in phantom.

Referring to FIG. 1, the invention comprises circular horizontal members11-15 and approximately triangular vertical members 16. The members11-15 and 16 are cooperatively slotted to interfit and form a packagestructure of vertically spaced tiers that will be more fully describedhereinafter. A rope handle 17 passes through center holes 18 in therespective horizontal members lll5 to engage a rod 19 under member anddefine a handle loop above member 11.

Circular horizontal members 11-15 comprise discs with progressivelylarger radii, disc 1 1 having the smallest radius and disc 15 thelargest. The discs are slotted with respective slots 11,, 12,, 13,, 14and 15 ang'ularly spaced equally around the respective discs perimetersand extending radially inward for slightly less than half the radius oftheir respective discs.

Vertical members 16 are approximately right triangular in shape havingtwo straight sides and a convexly curved third side. Vertical members 16are identical and define vertically spaced slots 16,16 along respectivestraight sides and parallel with the other straight sides. The slots 16-16 respectively extend toward their respective curved sides for halfthe radius of their respective associated discs ll-15 and half thedistance to the curved side.

The equal angular spacing of the radial slots 11,-15 are coordinatedwith the respective progressively differing radii of discs 11-15- andboth are keyed to the horizontal components of the grade sizes of thefruit to be packed and the number thereof in each grade size. Thevertical spacing of the parallel slots 16 -16 are keyed to the verticalcomponents of the respective grade sizes of said fruit.

The package and center-piece is assembled by interfitting parallel slots16,46 of the vertical members with the respective radial slots 11 -15 ofthe horizontal members, and associated in accordance with the subscriptnumerals l-S of the parallel slots to the last digits l-5 of the radialslots designation numbers. Because the radial slots are slightly lessthan half their respective radii, the vertical members will only extendto the holes 18 and define therewith a vertical center passagewaythrough the package structure. The rope handle 17 extends through saidpassageway to tightly engage rod 19 against the bottom of disc 15, saidrod passing between the vertical members and across hole 18 defined indisc 15.

Referring to FIG. 2, a clear plastic bag 21 is drawn up over the packageand center-piece and tied at the top with a ribbon 22 for closing theside opening cubicles when carrying the invention as a package. Whenuses as a center-piece the bag is removed to allow easy access to anypiece of fruit 20 in the package.

It is understood that the invention can be used for the packaging andornamental display of other articles, and that sector cubicles of thesame size can be provided by making te vertical the rectangular inshape. Square cubicles can be provided by making horizontal memberssquare in shape.

What is claimed is: i

1. A package and center-piece for packing and ornamental display ofcontents individually and by grade sizes comprising in combination: aplurality of horizontal members each defining a plurality of slotsequally spaced around the perimeter of each said horizontal member, andextending inward for less than a quarter of the distance betweenopposite points on each said perimeter; a plurality of vertical members,each having the same plurality of vertically spaced parallel slots asthere are horizontal members for association therewith and each slotextending for a quarter of the distance between opposite points on theperimeter of the associated horizontal member, the slots of saidhorizontal members and the slots of said vertical members interfittingand forming vertical tiers of side-opening cubicles to receive, supportand display said contents; and a clear plastic bag open at an end andenclosing said interfitting members, said open end being tied at the topthereof for the retention of contents therein in visible ornamentaldisplay.

2. A package and center-piece as described in claim 1 wherein saidhorizontal and vertical members respectively comprise: discs havingradii respectively varying as grade sizes of said contents and saidslots extending radially for less than half said radii and delimitingangularly and numerically equal sectors varying in size as said radii;said vertical members having and two straight sides at right angles toeach other, one of said sides defining slots, one for each of saiddiscs, parallel to the other of said sides, and spaced apart therein asgrade sizes of said contents, said parallel slots extending for half theradii of respectively associated discs, the remaining side of therespective vertical member being delimited by the projected lines ofsaid parallel slots for an additional half of said radii.

3. Horizontal members as described in claim 2 wherein the length of saidslots are less than half the radii of the respective discs in which theyare defined by the radius of a center hole defined in each said disc,thereby defining in combination with the slotted sides of said verticalmembers a center passageway through said interfitting parts, and a ropehandle mounted in said center passageway and secured at the bottomthereof for carrying said package and center-piece.

4. An improved method of packaging and forming with the contents of saidpackaging an ornamental center-piece comprising the following steps:slotting perimeters of a plurality of horizontal members, sizing saidhorizontal members and spacing said slotting in accordance with thenumber of said contents; slotting an equal number of vertical members asthere are slots in each horizontal member, said vertical member havingvertical and horizontal sides and said slottings being defined in saidvertical side and parallel to said horizontal side and spaced verticallyapart, said spacing and extent of said slottings in accordance withgrade sizes fo said contents; interfitting said horizontal and verticalmembers with associated slottings congruent to form a supportingstructure defining side-opening cubicles arranged in tiers by gradesizes of contents; placing contents individually in said cubiclesaccording to grade sizes; and enclosing said inter-fitted members andcubicle contents with a clear plastic bag, open at an end for saidenclosing and tied thereafter at the top for retaining said contents insaid cubicles.

